Greetings again from Albuquerque. I do believe it has rained once since I've been here, so I am anticipating some beautiful flowers and green grass around town.
We've officially passed the halfway point at the 2008 USBC Open Championships, and things continue to go well. We've seen a lot of great bowlers come through as well as a lot of terrific scores, and I've personally met many really nice people. I've also had the opportunity to write about some friends and sharing in their success makes this even more enjoyable.
On the lanes, I've begun my preparations for my upcoming appearance at the "Big Show." Along with my four-game employee league on Mondays and the occasional opportunity to sub in another league in a different house on Wednesdays, I spent my last day off at the Bowlers Journal Championships. Needless to say, it was a bit of a rude awakening and proved that averaging more than 230 on a house shot will never prepare you for a major event like the Open Championships.
While I did a relatively good job with spares, there weren't very many strikes. I did not cash in on the Instant Payback at the Bowlers Journal, and at this point I am not in position to hoist a championship trophy. And it wasn't because the lanes were too tough, it was because I wasn't ready. And as soon as I was done at the Bowlers Journal, I called and signed my team up for a practice session with USBC Silver coach Mike Jasnau. Many bowlers have told me how beneficial the sessions were for them, and I hope the session helps my team, too.
In the days since, I have thought about the things I would like to work on and spent much of last night's league session working on my armswing and timing. I felt like I threw the ball better and shot 957, but I'm not sure how many were truly quality shots. With that said, I have my equipment in the car, and I will be practicing a little bit after work tonight.
On another note, tomorrow at 6:15 a.m., I will lift off for my first hot air balloon ride. The trip is courtesy of one of our tournament sponsors, Rainbow Ryders. Many of the tournament employees already have taken advantage of this generous opportunity this week, and I'm looking forward to my chance to check it out, weather permitting. Apparently, the wind is supposed to be so bad tomorrow that we might get rescheduled. If we make it, it will be a nice chance to relax and enjoy what Albuquerque has to offer, and it's a great way to celebrate the halfway point.
Anyway, I just want to say thank you to all of the bowlers who have been through, along with extra gratitude to those who have stopped by to say hello. For those getting ready to join us, we'll see you soon. Travel safely, and good luck on the lanes.
